JUMADAL ULA 2 1430 A.H.
TUESDAY APRIL, 28 2009
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FG, KNSG partner on waste disposal plant
By SALISU MARAFA
THE federal government is to collaborate with Kano state government to build a solid waster disposal plant in the state.
This was disclosed yesterday by the minister of environment, Mr. John Odey during the commissioning of the National Reference Environmental Laboratory at Aforestation Programme Co-ordinating Unit (APCU) in Kano.
Mr. Odey said Kano, being one of the important states in industrial sector in Nigeria, will be better off as the plant will help ensure a cleaner and healthier environment.
Speaking on the laboratory, the minister said: "This laboratory is one of the three National Reference Laboratories to be established by the federal government, the other two would be located in Port Harcourt and Lagos.”
He said the choice of Kano as the first place to site this laboratory under- scores the prime position of the state in the federal government’s policy planning.
"Apart from being the centre of commerce, Kano has some of the largest industries in the country especially in the tannery and textile sectors," Mr. Odey explained.
He added: "This lab will closely monitor the effluent discharges from all the industries to ensure that they meet the standard required of them; proper monitoring of the effluent and other environmental hazards are imperative for government in view of the fast rate of urbanization in Kano state.
"This lab will also be of immense benefit to staff and students of the tertiary institutions located in the Northern states as they may also take advantage of its facilities in the conduct of researches on the issues of environmental challenges, especially issues of desertification in the country," Mr Odey added.
The minister then solicited for further collaborative efforts of Kano state and the other frontline states of the North in the effort to control desertification, posing food security problem and social threat to the people of the region.
Also speaking, Kano state governor, Malam (Dr.) Ibrahim Shekarau, who was represented by his deputy, Engr. Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo said the commissioning of the lab will help Kano state government in its effort to promote environmental protection and sustainable development in Kano.
"You are all aware that more than 80 per cent of all industries in the Northern part of the country are located in this state. Though this record has placed the state in an enviable position, it has also come with the challenges of environmental pollution as a result of the unwholesome practices of some industries, as some are in the habit of circumventing environmental standards and regulations in the course of their operations, thereby endangering the lives of innocent people of this state. This is totally unacceptable,” Malam Shekarau stressed.
He then thanked NESREA for choosing Kano to be the first state to benefit with this programme.
The move, he said, indicates a clear appreciation of the effort of the state government towards ensuring a healthy environment.
In his goodwill message, the state commissioner of environment, Alhaji Garba Yusuf Abubakar said the lab will help his ministry in different capacities especially in the area of research, saying before, they had to travel to overseas for their lab refuse test.
